Mounting for reflector buttons



' Nov. 30, 1943. c. A. PERSONS MOUNTING FOR REFLECTOR BUTTONS Filed NOV. '7, 1940 llllll "#11111;wlllilllllnllllllm III! I? Fi .9

INVENTQQ Charles 14. Persons Patented Nov. 30, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOUNTING FOR REFLECTOR BUTTONS Charles A. Persons, Worcester, Mass.

Application November 7, 1940, Serial No. 364,725

12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in reflecting signs and signals in which incident light is reflected to and in the general direction of its source by means of autocollimating reflectors which are commonly called reflector buttons. A plurality of these reflector buttons are mounted on the sign panel in the outlines of the characters to be displayed or in an arrangement, as for instance a straight, bent or crooked arrow, wherein they combine as a signal. This invention is especially concerned with the means for mounting the reflector buttons to a sign panel of thin material, or with a minor change, to sign panels made of thick boards. The object of the invention is to provide a vibration and theft resistant locking device for threaded members of the reflector button mountings, in which the buttons cannot be removed from the front of the panel after the rear container has been assembled therewith.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows a fragmentary portion of the face of a reflecting sign of thin material and embodying my reflector buttons;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View of the sign taken on line II--II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 illustrates a reflector button embodying one form of my invention, with parts in section;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the reflector button and one form of its mounting members taken on line IVIV of Fig. 3;

Fig, 5 shows a modified form of my invention;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line VI-VI of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 illustrates a further modification of my invention;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line VIII-VIII of Fig, 7 and Fig. 9 illustrates a modification of my invention adapted for assembly in a sign panel of wood.

Signs are reflectorized by mounting autocollimating reflectors within the outline of the characters to be displayed. Light incident thereon is returned to and. in the general direction of its source, so that the autocollimating reflectors or reflector buttons as they are commonly called, are visible singly and in their grouped relation to persons in line with or near the light source.

' As shown in Fig. 1, the face of a sign panel I has a plurality of reflector buttons 2 mounted thereon extending thru holes in said panel I and taking the form of a letter S. The buttons 2 are secured to the sign panel I by mounting members 3 and 4 having abutments thereon. Member 3 engages the front face of the panel I, and the other member 4,'the rear face; the panel I' being clamped therebetween by means of a screwthreaded engagement 5 between the mounting members 3 and 4,

The mounting member 3 which engages the front face of the panel I, receives and houses the body and rear portion of the autocollimating unit, and is known as the shell. The shell 3 is shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is formed at its forward end with a portion of enlarged diameter 6, and at its rear end with a threaded extension I, and intermediate its ends with a knurled or roughened cylindrical portion 8. The outside diameters of the threaded portion 1 and knurled por tion 8 are approximately equal, and are adapted to pass freely thru the hole in the panel I up to the enlarged forward portion 6 of the shell 3.

The mounting member 4 engages the rear surface of the sign panel I, receiving the portion of the shell 3 which protrudes behind the panel I, and is known as the cap. The rearward part 9 of the cup-shaped cap 4 is threaded so as to cooperatively engage the threaded portion 1. of the shell 3. The forward open end is strengthened by a'peripheral shoulder or a rim I0. In the embodiment of my invention as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the section I I intermediate the threaded rear portion Sand the forward open end is provided with one or more inwardly directed resilient tongues I2 which engage the knurled or roughened portion 8 of the shell 3 and resist rotation in the direction which would loosen the tension against the panel I.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the tongues I2 may be formed in an unthreaded portion I3 of the cap 4 adjacent its closed end and the cooperative surface I4 on the shell 3 may be smooth. The resistance is developed by making the cap 4, of a harder material than the shell 3 and forming the tongues I2 with sharp edges.

Another modification of my invention is shown in Figs. 7 and 8 in which the tongues I5 are formed in the shell 3 and engage the inner surface of a knurled portion I6 of the cap 4. I I

The inward ends I! of the tongues I2 may be bent slightly outwardly to prevent actual looking of the cap 4 to the shell 3 as shown in Fig. 4. The corner formed by this outward bend engages the roughened portion of the shell 3 and is arranged to resist unthreading rotation of the parts.

The embodiment of my invention in a reflecting unit for mounting in sign panels of thick boards is shown in Fig. 9, where the cap id is provided with means to engage the walls of the hole which receives the unit. The wall engaging means is exemplified in the drawing by an outwardly flaring rim [8 at the forward end of the cap 4a. The rotation resisting means as shown in Fig. 9 consists of a knurled portion l9 at the closed end of the shell 3 and at least one inwardly directed tongue l2 near the closed end of the cap 411. Of course, it is clear that any of the shell and cap engaging means as disclosed in Figs. 2-8 may be utilized in the embodiment of the invention as shown in Fig. 9.

It will be clear from the above description that any of the reflector buttons 2, as secured to its shell 3, may be applied to the front face of a panel I with the extension portion 1 extending rearwardly thru a panel hole. The cap 4 is then applied from the rear of the panel and may be screwed up on the shell until abutments 8 and i firmly clamp the edges of the panel. In each case, the tongues H2 or will move quite easily over the knurling 8 as the cap rotates in the direction counter-clockwise in Fig. 4, to screw the parts to clamping position, it being noted that it is necessary to hold the reflector 2 stationary and turn the cap up on the shell. The rear plate of the sign is secured in place as by bolts 2|, and the reflectors are thus secure against unauthorized removal, since if they are rotated from the front of the sign, the tongues [2 in conjunction with the roughening or knurling 8 will cause the shell to correspondingly rotate, and hence no separation of the cap and shell is possible, except by removing the plate 28. Likewise a positive lock between the cap and shell is provided to insure against loosening by vibration.

In the form of the invention disclosed in Figs. 3 and 4, it will be easier to unscrew the cap 4 from the shell 3 because of outwardly bent portions I1, than in the forms shown in Figs. 5 and 6, in which the hard tongues will dig into the shell upon a reverse rotation. Also, the squar ended tongues in Figs. 7 and 8 will resist reverse turning to a somewhat greater degree than the bent tongues of Figs. 3 and l. However, in all cases the reflector 2 may be held stationary by the fingers or a tool, and the cap portions can be backed off upon removal of the plate 20 from panel I, this being the only possible method of removal.

In the form of the invention disclosed in Fig. 9, wherein the assembly is to be applied to a thick board, the shell and cap can be screwed together first, and the Whole jammed into the bore, so that the rearwardly extending flange l8 engages the walls of the bore to prevent removal. The cap 4a could be positioned first, if desired, and the shell 3 then turned in. In either case, the tongue and knurling will prevent the shell from being unscrewed as in the other forms.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a reflector button assembly comprising two shell-like members, one member holding a reflector button and having exterior screw threads therearound, the other member being rotatable with respect to said one member and having interior screw threads for cooperation with said exterior threads for clamping a support between said members and means effective to lock said members together comprising a resilient element on one member and a roughened surface on the other member, said element being adapted to press against and frictionally engage the roughened surface in a direction radial of the axis of rotation of said members.

2. As an article of manufacture, a reflector button mounting device comprising a pair of shel1-like members having cooperating screw threads therearound adapted for relative movement to clamp a support, and means effective to frictionally lock said members against relative movement, said means comprising a resilient element on one member adapted to directly press against a roughened surface on the other member in a direction normal to the direction of said relative movement.

3. As an article of manufacture, a reflector button mounting device comprising a pair of hollow generally cylindrical members, one member being receivable in the other and adapted to hold reflector button, and means to prevent relative rotation of said cylindrical members in one direction, said means comprising a resilient element on one member and a series of longitudinal closely spaced corrugations on the other member, said resilient element extending toward and firmly pressing against the other member in the corrugations, said element acting substantially radially, and cooperating means on the walls of said cylindrical members to relatively advance them upon rotation in the opposite direction.

4. As an article of manufacture, a reflector button mounting device comprising a hollow shell containing a button and having a flange adjacent said button, a hollow cap to receive said shell, said cap and shell being generally cylindrical and adapted for relative movement to clamp a support therebetween, means tending to prevent said relative movement comprising a resilient element on said cap at its edge adapted to frictionally engage the surface of said shell and acting directly against a side wall of the same adjacent the flange, and a series of closely spaced corrugations in the surface of the shell in the range of said resilient element.

5. As an article of manufacture, a reflector button assembly comprising a pair of cylindrical members having cooperating screw threads on their adjacent surfaces and adapted for relative rotation to clamp a supporting panel therebetween, and means tending to prevent reverse r0- tation to unclamp said members comprising a resilient tongue struck up from one member and a roughened surface on the other member, said tongue extending toward the other member in a direction opposite to the direction of the clamping rotative movement of said one member, said screw threads and tongue being contained within the longitudinal confines of said members.

6. An article of manufacture as recited in claim 5 wherein said tongue has a free end and said roughened surface is adapted to engage said tongue at said free end.

7. An article of manufacture as recited in claim 5 wherein said tongue is of harder material than said other member.

3. An article of manufacture as recited in claim 5 wherein said tongue has a free end reversely extending toward said one member, and said roughened surface engages said tongue short of said free end.

9. A reflector construction comprising a panel having a reflector button receiving aperture, a button holder element having means wider than said aperture so that said holder is insertible in said aperture from one side of said panel but cannot pass thru, a retainer element for said holder adapted to be secured thereto at the other side of the panel, means whereby said holder and retainer elements may be relatively advanced to clamp on said panel at the edge of said aperture, and means tending to prevent a reverse movement of said holder and retainer elements comprising a resilient tongue on one element extending toward and engaging the other element, and a roughened surface on said other element in the path of said tongue.

10. A reflector construction comprising an apertured panel, a reflector button holding element having a panel engaging means whereby said holding element may partially enter an aperture but may not pass thru, a retaining element for securement to said holding element, screw threads on said elements whereby they may be relatively advanced to clamp on said panel, said elements having corresponding non-threaded areas, and means tending to prevent a reverse movement of said elements to unclamp said panel, said means comprising a resilient tongue on one element and a roughened portion for engagement therewith on the other element, said tongue and said roughened portion being located at said non-threaded areas.

11. A reflector construction according to claim 10 in which said tongue extends in a direction to permit relative movement of said elements toward panel clamping position and to oppose a reverse movement.

12. A reflector construction comprising a hollow shell element having screw threads in its wall. a reflector button housing element having corresponding screw threads in its surface so that the housing may be turned into the shell, a series of closely spaced longitudinal corrugations on one element, and a resilient tongue on the other element extending toward said corrugations and adapted to engage the same, said tongue having an effective length substantially the same as the distance between the corrugations, so that the tongue will snap into place between corrugations and prevent any relative rotative motion of the elements at least in one direction.

CHARLES A. PERSONS. 

